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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29573616">Pastel Post-its and Ethereal Evenings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JonJackTheBoi/pseuds/JonJackTheBoi'>JonJackTheBoi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, civilian Iwaizumi, superhero Oikawa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:07:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29573616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JonJackTheBoi/pseuds/JonJackTheBoi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Regius (also known as Oikawa Tooru) has a habit of visiting a certain rooftop garden and chatting with the caring, kind, if somewhat snippy, caretaker who likes to complain about a classmate he helps with homework.</p><p>Iwaizumi Hajime has a habit of venting to a hero who stops by his roof garden about a certain annoying, hardworking, friendly classmate he helps with homework.</p><p>Kuroo Tetsurou knows both of these things. He can't wait to watch this go down.</p><p>(Teen for language)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!! Valentine Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Routines and Realizations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelittlebirdthattoldyou/gifts">thelittlebirdthattoldyou</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! I had so much fun writing for this, thank you for giving me such good prompts! I tried to include a lot of the things you said you liked, so I hope I hit the mark.<br/>Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wow, I guess two heads really are better than one.” Oikawa, currently the superhero Regius, quipped as Voltaic finished clearing the rubble from the collapsed train tunnel entrance (None had been running at the time, thankfully)</p><p>“Guess so.” Voltaic agreed. “But there’s only so much one pair of hands can do, and yours looks awfully still over there.” he deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at Oikawa, who was draped over a nearby bench after blocking the area off as a hazard.</p><p>“One. You’re not using your hands.” Oikawa pointed out. “Two, I am helping. I’ve been boosting you since we got here, and you’ve been working for almost forty minutes. Besides, I was the one who actually got us to the right tunnel.”<br/>
“You got us close to the right tunnel.” Voltaic corrected with a snort. “I finished getting us here after you got lost about a hundred feet away.” </p><p>“Which leads us right back to my first point: Two heads are better than one.” Oikawa repeated with a grin. “You almost done?” He added, looking over towards the small crowd of reporters that had started to gather on the edge of the makeshift safety blockade, not that Oikawa had expected much more, but still. </p><p>Not being hounded would have been nice.</p><p>“Why? Have somewhere to be, do you?” Voltaic asked, smirking.<br/>
“Only if you say yes to that date.” Oikawa teased.</p><p>“You know I’d love to,” Voltaic said, casting a glance and an overly dramatic wink Oikawa’s way. “But I think someone else has your attention.”<br/>
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, everyone knows I only have eyes for you.” Oikawa declared, dramatically clutching at his chest.<br/>
“Which brings us to problem number two: My own status in a monogamous relationship,” Voltaic said, miming a heart breaking as he turned away from the now clear tunnel, heading towards Oikawa. </p><p>Oikawa just laughed as he released his power.<br/>
“Curses! My own heart, stolen out from under me!” he gasped, bowing and snatching Voltaic’s hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “But, I know when I’ve been bested. Lets get outta here.” Oikawa added, glancing to the crowd of reporters, growing louder and louder.<br/>
“Oh, I’m not carrying you back.” Voltaic said with a grin.</p><p>“Aww, c’mon! It’s not that far.” Oikawa persuaded as he straightened up, feeling a throbbing in his temple increase along with the volume from the press crowd. </p><p>They were starting to get antsy, and while he was fairly willing to talk to them under the correct conditions (And had long since learned every trick in the books for evading the authorities because of it), even he had his limits. And a long day in armor, even as light and sparse as his was, had nearly put him to his.</p><p>Voltaic just shot him a sly smile.<br/>
“No. It’s not.” he agreed. And then he was flying away. Oikawa groaned as he adjusted his chestplate. </p><p>Well, the delay would at least it’d give him time to figure out how to get Voltaic back, at least. He felt his left eye twitching slightly, courtesy of his oncoming headache and the increasingly loud swarm of reporters as he took a deep breath. Yeah, Voltaic needed to be gotten back for this.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>A solid hour and a half later, Oikawa was gratefully collapsing on a rooftop, body and mind aching.</p><p>After about ten seconds, Oikawa heard a huff somewhere to his right. He groaned as he cracked his eyes open and glanced towards it. He found exactly what he was expecting, and almost smiled, despite his exhaustion.</p><p>“Press?” a familiar voice asked.<br/>
“It’s always the press.” Oikawa muttered, leaning his head back against one of the planter boxes and remembering how loud they’d been. They were always loud. And demanding.</p><p>“Yeah. It’s what happens when you work so freaking much and are so good at not getting caught.” Iwaizumi pointed out. “They hear more about you, so they’re on the look out for you.”<br/>
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Oikawa yawned, blinking a few times. </p><p>Man, today was starting to catch up with him. Iwaizumi dipped his hand in his watering can and flicked a few drops at Oikawa.<br/>
“Well c’mon. You’re gonna kill your back. Go sit at the table, at least.” he said. Oikawa just yawned again as he stood and stretched before moving to the nearby table and dropping down, not even having the energy to fight Iwaizumi on it right now.</p><p>“And take your helmet off.” Iwaizumi added. Oikawa smiled as he slipped the dark gray and deep blue helmet off and set it on the table.</p><p><em>It’s been eight months.</em> Oikawa realized, watching as Iwaizumi watered the plants quietly.</p><p>Eight months since the evening Regius had stopped on a rooftop, giving himself a breather after a scuffle. Eight months since he’d found an incredible, well cared for rooftop garden and the equally incredible caretaker of said rooftop garden, one Iwaizumi Hajime, doing his homework at this very table.</p><p>Oikawa had asked for a sporting two minute head start before Iwaizumi called the cops. Iwaizumi had snorted and said he’d had no intention of calling the cops, especially since he hadn’t been given reason to think he was in danger.</p><p>Iwaizumi had let Oikawa sit at the table across from him, and Oikawa had thanked him, complementing his garden.<br/>
Iwaizumi had insisted it wasn’t his garden. His boss, Ushijima, had started the whole thing, but was too busy for the regular maintenance, so it fell to Iwaizumi. </p><p>Oikawa still hadn’t figured out if he wanted to smack Ushijima for giving Iwaizumi more work, kiss Ushijima for putting Iwaizumi somewhere Regius could meet him, or the other way around.</p><p>“What's going on?” Iwaizumi finally asked, breaking into Oikawa’s reminiscing.<br/>
“Huh?”<br/>
“You’re exhausted. The press is annoying, but doesn’t usually wear you out like this.” Iwaizumi explained. “So what's going on? Something happen?” Oikawa waved his hand dismissively.</p><p>Iwaizumi wouldn’t care about Oikawa’s main press frustration being that they primarily hounded him about relationships, which he didn’t understand. He figured they would ask him about his motivations as a hero, his morals, or literally anything else.</p><p>But almost every time a mic or camera was shoved in his face, the accompanying shouting was about his love life. He had hoped playing things up with Voltaic would help, but had only fanned the flames. Oikawa had taken to just saying ‘I don’t kiss and tell’ whenever he was asked about it, but, after nearly a year, it was becoming utterly exhausting. </p><p>“Not really. It’s just been a busy day.”<br/>
“And you’ve got a busy night ahead?” Oikawa nodded. “You’re gonna get yourself hurt one of these days.” Iwaizumi muttered<br/>
“Aww, are you worried about me?” Oikawa responded with a grin he hoped Iwaizumi could hear.</p><p>Iwaizumi shook his head as he set the watering can down and headed over to the table, lightly flicking the back of Oikawa’s head on his way to his seat.<br/>
“No, I can just tell that you’re a workaholic.”<br/>
“Which makes you worry about me.” Oikawa argued, fake pouting as he rubbed the back of his head. </p><p>Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.<br/>
“Worried I might not have someone to bother me during garden maintenance, maybe.” he retorted.<br/>
“You say that like you didn’t put a first aid kit in the tool trunk just for me.” Oikawa deadpanned, gesturing to the large, padlocked trunk filled with trowels, shears, and other assorted supplies sitting next to the building's primary roof access stairs.</p><p>“That’s because you’re accident prone.” Iwaizumi scoffed. “I didn’t <em>need</em> to have a first aid kit up here before you started showing up. Remember that time I let you water the cactus and you ended up with four spines in your hand?”<br/>
“Hey, that cactus is the one to blame there.” Oikawa defended, face warming slightly. How it had poked through Oikawa’s suit material, primarily a mix of carbon fiber and graphene, Oikawa would never know.</p><p>“It’s a cactus. You’re a superhero.” Iwaizumi deadpanned.<br/>
“In my defense,” Oikawa started, blush rising along with his gratefulness for his mask.</p><p>Iwaizumi cut him off with a snicker.<br/>
“I know, I know. The cactus started it.”</p><p>“Exactly.” Oikawa huffed. Iwaizumi just shook his head and grabbed his school bag from under the table.<br/>
“You really are something else.” he muttered as he started pulling out books.<br/>
“I’ll take that as a compliment. What’re you workin on tonight?”<br/>
“Lit. <em>Someone's</em> gonna need my help with it, but they have lit on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I have Mondays and Wednesdays.” Oikawa blinked.<br/>
</p><p> Oh yeah. This part of visiting Iwaizumi on the rooftop.<br/>
</p><p>“Ah yeah. Nice of you to help them out, though.”<br/>
“I hardly have a choice. And it’s always annoying.” Iwaizumi complained. “They have people hanging off them all the time, so it takes us forever to get any work done.” Oikawa winced at that.<br/>
“My condolences.” he snorted, biting back a tinge of bitterness.</p><p>The indirect insult part.</p><p>Iwaizumi’s pencil hit the table, expression shifting as he gazed out, off the roof.</p><p>“Look.” he murmured. “It’s starting.” </p><p>Oikawa gave his attention to the city, pulling himself to the present. He felt himself start to smile, the beautiful sky distracting him from his previous unpleasant thoughts. </p><p>The skyline was nearly set ablaze with reds and oranges, creating a stark contrast with the dark buildings, the colors swirling together, and blending seamlessly on the horizon, highlighted by the handful of clouds drifting lazily by in the early evening hours</p><p>They just enjoyed it, and the closest thing to silence they could get in a city this big, simply sitting next to each other, gazing out at the sky together like they started doing eight months ago. </p><p>Every Friday they were here, at this little table, next to each other. Well, and any other day Oikawa happened to swing by, for rest, or sometimes just company and sunset watching. (He hadn’t told Iwaizumi that second part yet though)</p><p>It only lasted a few minutes, the bright, vivid, sky giving way to a soft twilight, stars beginning to peek through the light pollution and scattered clouds.</p><p>“And that's your cue.” Iwaizumi said. </p><p>Oikawa laughed softly as he stood.<br/>
“Yup.” he said as he tugged his helmet back on. “Good luck with your lit work.” he added as he took off, not wasting any time.</p><p><em>Eight months,</em> Oikawa couldn’t help thinking as he flung himself from one rooftop to the next, and then the next, fiddling with his new wireless earpiece’s control panel through the inside of his gauntlet. (He’d only had it for about a week and still didn’t quite have the controls down)</p><p>You see, Regius had met Iwaizumi eight months ago. </p><p>Oikawa Tooru, on the other hand, had met Iwaizumi a year and a half ago. </p><p>Oikawa knew which one he preferred.</p><p>“Should I even ask why you’re late?” Voltaic asked as Oikawa finally got his com connected and almost shouted in triumph. </p><p>The earpiece was annoying enough to make Oikawa want to snap it in half and expensive enough he got nervous just looking at it. They’d had to adjust his mask as well, adding a small slit above his ear so he could get it on and off without removing his mask, which was less than ideal. </p><p>“Nope.” Oikawa responded, shaking his head and focusing back on the task at hand. Voltaic groaned.<br/>
“And it <em>won’t</em> affect your work tonight?”<br/>
“Correct.”</p><p><em>It wouldn’t.</em> Oikawa told himself as he hurried to their meeting spot. He wouldn’t let it. What he was about to busy with was more important than what he’d left on the rooftop.</p><p>“I’ll believe that when I see it.” Voltaic responded with a snort<br/>
“Hey, you’re the one who asked. I’ll be right there, you know I don’t like to keep you waiting” Oikawa added with a grin.<br/>
“Because you know that gets you more work.” Voltaic retorted, and Oikawa focused his energy on moving even faster. Voltaic wasn’t kidding, Oikawa had known him long enough to know that. </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>The following day, Tuesday, found Oikawa yawning, the gentle buzz of the university library's midday study crowd almost lulling him to sleep. </p><p>He'd been running on fumes all day and still had two classes after his lunch break, which was when he’d normally power down and sleep like a rock for an hour and a half. He was surprised he'd made it this long without that, honestly. </p><p>“Can you focus?” Iwaizumi asked with a sigh as he rubbed his face. </p><p>But, this assignment wouldn't do itself, and Oikawa knew that if he didn't get work done virtually as soon as it was assigned, heroing would keep it from getting done at all. Especially in this class.</p><p>“Yeah.” Oikawa confirmed after a beat, shaking his head and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.<br/>
“Then why haven’t you been?” Iwaizumi scoffed. </p><p>Before Oikawa could even respond, Iwaizumi had taken a deep breath.<br/>
“Sorry, I’m gonna go grab some coffee, I’ll be right back.” he said, standing up quickly enough to almost knock his chair over as he strode towards the library cafe. </p><p>Oikawa blinked a few times before sighing and dropping his head into the table. Rooftop Iwaizumi was much nicer than school Iwaizumi. </p><p><em>Or maybe,</em> Oikawa thought bitterly, <em>Regius is just more likeable than Oikawa. </em></p><p><em>But,...are they really that different?</em> Oikawa wondered.</p><p>So different that Iwaizumi would sit with, watch sunsets with, and bring bandaids on the rooftop, to Regius, but always seemed so eager to get away from Oikawa, and do everything in his power to minimize their interactions? It felt like he wanted absolutly nothing more to do with Oikawa than the group project that had thrown them into each others orbits a few semesters ago.</p><p>Well, <em>that</em> might have been an exaggeration, they did do a decent bit of work together still, what with Iwaizumi taking calculus this semester, and they <em>had</em> exchanged numbers and sent a <em>few</em> texts that weren’t strictly about school stuff. But it still felt like there was just something about Oikawa that Iwaizumi didn’t like.</p><p>Oikawa sighed as he grabbed one of his pale teal post-it notes and started scribbling on it aimlessly. </p><p>He ended up writing ‘What am I doing wrong?’ in the most melty, fluid, handwriting he could manage, like the words were crying. </p><p>He knew that one person not liking him wasn’t the end of the world. He knew that he was probably just being dramatic, and blowing the whole situation out of proportion.</p><p>But at the same time, Oikawa couldn’t help being more miffed than normal by this particular person not liking him. </p><p>“Here.” Oikawa heard Iwaizumi say, and he flinched, hand slapping over the post-it note as Iwaizumi sat back down in front of him. </p><p>He placed a coffee on the table in front of Oikawa.<br/>
“This one’s your favorite right?” Iwaizumi asked, and Oikawa nodded tentatively as he saw the familiar order that was written on the cup.<br/>
“Thanks.” Iwaizumi shook his head</p><p>“No, I’m sorry. I had a long night, but it’s no excuse to be an asshole to you.” he shrugged, and Oikawa smiled.<br/>
“Thanks for remembering, I meant. The last time I mentioned coffee was what, like, last month?” Oikawa pointed out.</p><p>“Your loving fans happen to talk about shit like that about you when and where ever they want.” Iwaizumi stated. “It wasn’t exactly classified information.”<br/>
“Fair enough.” Oikawa shrugged before taking a drink.<br/>
“Yeah. What’s that?” Iwaizumi asked as he gestured towards the post-it note, no longer hidden under Oikawa’s hand.</p><p>Oikawa coughed on his drink, shaking his head.<br/>
“Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.” Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed, and Oikawa sighed. “Fine.” he conceded after a second, passing the note to Iwaizumi. </p><p>Post-it notes were kind of their thing, after all, ever since they started studying together. Oikawa had started putting his post-it doodles on Iwaizumi’s work, almost like a gift for him. A silent ‘thank you’.</p><p>Iwaizumi softened as soon as he read this newest one.</p><p>“It’s ok, Perfect-kawa.” he started with an eye roll that seemed equally affectionate and teasing. “You’re not gonna get everything right the first time. Let's start from the beginning again.” Oikawa internally sighed as he nodded. </p><p><em>Maybe school Iwaizumi’s just as nice.</em> Oikawa thought as they continued working, Iwaizumi having slowed down enough for Oikawa to start catching up.</p><p>---</p><p>About an hour later, Oikawa was finishing up a doodle on a post-it note. A smiling little drink saying ‘thanks again!’<br/>
“And you’re sure you can finish this up on your own?” Iwaizumi asked.</p><p>“I can, Iwa-chan. But, I’ll text you if I get stuck, ok?” he said, looking up as he tossed his things into his bag and pulled the note from the top of the stack<br/>
“Sure. Have a good evening. See you in class.”</p><p>“Yeah, see you in class.” Oikawa responded with a smile, sticking the freshly finished doodle right on Iwaizumi’s notes and striding out of the library. </p><p>Yeah. School Iwaizumi was just as nice, he was just more stressed. </p><p><em>Guess that's why he vents to Regius so much.</em> Oikawa mused as he walked.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa threw his school bag down in his apartment that evening, and immediately flung himself onto the couch, relaxing every single muscle in his body. What a day that had been. </p><p><em>At least it’s over.</em> Oikawa thought as he yawned. <em>I can get a little bit of sleep before we have to leave too, if he’ll cook dinner. Maybe I can talk him into that. If I promise to do it tomorrow.</em> Oikawa thought absently, yawning again.</p><p>“How much sleep have you gotten in the last forty eight hours?” his roommate, Kuroo, asked, and Oikawa groaned in response.</p><p>“Come eat, at least.” Kuroo sighed. “I got take-out on my way home.” Oikawa rolled off the couch and onto his feet at that.<br/>
“That’ll save so much time, you’re a lifesaver!” he said, dramatically bowing and kissing the back of Kuroo’s hand.</p><p>“And you,” Kuroo started with a smile. “are not going out with me tonight.” he stated, turning away from Oikawa and heading into the kitchen.<br/>
“What? Why?” Oikawa asked as he followed.<br/>
“You need sleep.”<br/>
“I-”<br/>
“Would be a liability.” Kuroo interjected. “You’re tired. You won’t be paying attention, I’d just end up babysitting.” Kuroo said as he passed Oikawa a bowl, and Oikawa wanted to curse. </p><p>Kuroo was right, of course, but Oikawa didn’t have to like it. </p><p>“And,” Kuroo continued. “Why is that? You didn’t sleep during your class break today, did you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, and Oikawa shook his head.<br/>
“I was busy.”<br/>
“Busy.”<br/>
“Homework that I needed help with.” Oikawa shrugged. “Me and a...friend, ate lunch and they helped. By the time we were done, I had to be in my next class.”<br/>
“A friend?” Kuroo asked. “Ohoho, it’s a Tuesday,” he said, eyes widening along with his grin. </p><p>Oikawa shoved another bite into his mouth, praying Kuroo would drop it quickly. Oikawa knew he wouldn’t, but he could pray. </p><p>Maybe one day all the praying would pay off. </p><p>“This wouldn’t happen to be the ‘grumpy hedgehog with a weird godzilla fascination’, now would it?” Kuroo asked with a smug grin. </p><p>Today would not be that day.</p><p>“There's no way for me to win this.” Oikawa stated, dropping his head into the table. “Just, get it over with.”<br/>
“Oh, I was planning on it. It’s been a while since you mentioned them, so I’ve got a lot of material to work with.” Kuroo promised. </p><p>Oikawa thought he felt a part of his soul leave his body, but he’d made his bed, and now he had to lie in it. What on earth had possessed him to make this particular bed a few weeks ago though, he still didn’t know. He blames it on his sleep deprivation and reckless impulses. Why else would you gush about your crush to <em>Kuroo Tetsurou</em> of all people?</p><p>---</p><p>“-and, I just really wanted to say that I love the way you always compare their eyes to leaves or gemstones.” Kuroo said, nearly a half hour later, before pausing to take a deep breath.<br/>
“Is that it?” Oikawa asked, finally taking his head off the table, both their empty dinner bowls sitting on the table.</p><p> Kuroo grinned at him.<br/>
“Nah, but, contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually enjoy making people suffer, so I’m done for now.” Oikawa snorted.</p><p>“Really? You don’t enjoy tormenting me?” Kuroo tousled Oikawa’s hair.<br/>
“No, I don’t. But sometimes it feels like nothing else gets anything into that huge, busy, head of yours.” He responded, voice a bit more stern than Oikawa was expecting. “You should talk to them. Why haven't you?” </p><p>Oikawa couldn't even respond. He knew exactly why, he just couldn’t bring himself to tell Kuroo. Not right now, at least.  </p><p>“I mean, you’ve told me enough that I could write them a goddamned sonnet without having ever laid eyes on them.” Kuroo continued with a raised eyebrow, and Oikawa felt himself go red.</p><p>“They don’t seem to want any sonnet I could write them.”<br/>
“Because you two mostly just do school stuff together?” Oikawa nodded, and Kuroo sighed. “Dude, you know that's how me and Dai met, right? I know I’ve told you this story. We met at school, did school stuff together, then we talked and realized we both wanted to do not-school stuff together, and boom, here we are two years later going steady.” he shrugged, and they fell into silence.</p><p>Could it really be that simple?</p><p>“Look, just, think about it, ok?” Kuroo sighed after a moment, and Oikawa nodded. “Well, there’s some stuff I wanna check on before I really get started, so I’m heading out now. And you,” he said, ruffling Oikawa’s hair again. “Get some sleep, ok?”<br/>
“Yeah, yeah, fine.” Oikawa said, sticking his tongue out. </p><p>Kuroo stuck his out while flipping Oikawa off. Oikawa returned the gesture, and they both grinned.<br/>
“See you in the morning. Sleep well.” Kuroo called over his shoulder as he headed into his room, presumably to get changed.<br/>
“See you in the morning.” Oikawa echoed as he went to his room. </p><p>He barely even glanced at his bed as he grabbed his school bag and settled himself at his desk. </p><p><em>Ah, the joys of being a superhero pursuing a double major.</em> he thought to himself. </p><p>At least the work kept his mind from wandering. He didn’t really like where it tended to wander to.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>Iwaizumi groaned lightly as he saw the extra pair of shoes in the entryway on Wednesday evening. Great. Company. </p><p>Loud, dark haired, tall, company, by the looks of it. Iwaizumi kicked his shoes off and eased the apartment door shut. </p><p>If Iwaizumi was lucky, the two of them would be in Daichi’s room hanging out. Or just somewhere that wasn't between the front door and Iwaizumi's room. Three steps later, Iwaizumi confirmed that for once, he actually was lucky. </p><p>There was Daichi, relaxing on the couch by himself. Iwaizumi breathed a small sigh of relief, and Daichi laughed as he glanced up from his laptop.<br/>
“Don’t get too comfy.” He cautioned. “Tetsu’s in the shower. He had a, uh, <em>interesting</em> day at the  lab.” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow as he dropped down at the coffee table, knowing he had a few minutes he could spend out here before Kuroo joined them.</p><p>“I’m gonna guess I don’t want to know what that means?”<br/>
“You do not.” Daichi confirmed. “But, we’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes. Our place was just closer than his. Anyway, how’d that lit thing you were working on late last night go? Decent grade?” Daichi asked, shaking his head.<br/>
“I don’t know yet, it’s not due until the end of the week.” Iwaizumi shrugged.</p><p>“Oh? Were you just getting a head start?” Daichi asked, brow furrowing, and Iwaizumi couldn't blame him.</p><p>Iwaizumi did tend to live by the philosphy of <em>'If it's not done by midnight, it's not getting done'</em>, after all, so, his staying up until almost one thirty am to finish it might've seemed a little odd.</p><p>“Wait, no, it was for lit? You were finishing it so you could help that guy, weren't you? What’s his name again?”<br/>
“Glasses.” Iwaizumi deadpanned, earning a small chuckle from Daichi. “And...yeah. We ate lunch together and worked through it.” Iwaizumi admitted. “He’s actually pretty cool, when he’s not being almost insufferable.” Daichi snorted.</p><p>“Well, someone who gets a rave review like that from you is someone I gotta meet.” he responded. “I mean, he’s gonna come by eventually right? You two have only been hanging out for what, like almost a year at this point?”</p><p> Iwaizumi shifted, sticking his legs under the coffee table as he sighed.<br/>
“We’re not really hanging out. We just help each other with homework.”<br/>
“Didn’t answer my question.”<br/>
“...Around seven months.” Iwaizumi finally sighed, remembering Oikawa making an offhanded comment about failing his next semester one afternoon they were working on the project they'd been partnered for. </p><p>Iwaizumi had asked why, and Oikawa had shown him his classes, pointing out a few that he knew would give him trouble. The next thing Iwaizumi had known, he was scoffing and offering to help. He hadn't expected Oikawa to take him up on it, but here he was, seven months later and still trying to figure out how to deal with working with someone as infuriatingly wonderful as Oikawa was. He didn't really know how much longer he could take it, either, as juvenile as that sounded to him.</p><p>“Ah, I see. So, when exactly is it that you bring people home? the one year mark?”<br/>
“Oh shut up. I don’t think it’s like that.”<br/>
“Why not? Is he not looking for a relationship right now?”<br/>
“I haven’t asked. He’s just…” Iwaizumi felt his face heat up, but powered on. “He’s super popular at school. He has his pick of people.”<br/>
“Translation?” </p><p>Iwaizumi sighed in frustration. It was obvious, right? And maybe it was juvenile as well, but Iwaizumi felt pretty sure it was true. Oikawa could do a whole lot better than him.<br/>
“If he has his pick, why would he pick me?”<br/>
“Aaaand, there it is.” Daichi said, closing his laptop and looking at Iwaizumi. “Hajime, you gotta stop sabotaging yourself like this. This is, what, the third person you’ve shut yourself down on because you thought they were better than you?”</p><p>“I don’t think he’s better than me, I just-”<br/>
“Think you’re less than him?”<br/>
“Doubt he's interested in me like that.” Iwaizumi almost snapped.</p><p>After all, it was just about the homework, right? That was the only reason they spent time together outside of class, and the only reason they’d exchanged numbers, even if Oikawa occasionally sent him memes or selfies.</p><p>“And you wouldn't know if you don't talk to him about it.” Daichi pointed out.<br/>
“I could wait for him to talk to me.”</p><p>“And when has that ever worked out?” Daichi asked, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, look at Tetsu. He didn’t tell me until after we’d been together for almost a year, but he had been interested in me for months before he finally talked to me.”<br/>
“That’s different.”<br/>
“Why?”<br/>
“Because you two didn’t have any history before that.” Iwaizumi answered. Oikawa and Iwaizumi had already established what they were to each other; study partners/tutors. “We already know what we expect from each other.”</p><p>“So just tell him you want to change that.” Daichi responded, and Iwaizumi sighed.<br/>
“I…” Iwaizumi tried, biting back his desire to say <em>it’s not that simple.</em> Because it was, wasn’t it? </p><p>And he still couldn’t do it.</p><p><em>Oikawa should be with someone who can actually tell him how he feels</em> Iwaizumi thought. <em> Not someone who hides behind half-assed insults for almost a year.</em>

</p><p>“I’m not saying it’s easy, but a lot of worthwhile things aren’t. Not to wear the example out, but me and Tetsu have had plenty of issues and things that have changed in the last two years. It’s about me being able to talk to him, and he makes that easy for me.” Daichi explained. “Well, at least seventy percent of the time.” he amended. “When he isn’t trying to stir the pot, that is.”</p><p>“Aww, babe, I’m flattered.” Kuroo crooned, draping himself over Daichi from behind the couch, wearing sweatpants and a tank top, hair still slightly damp from the shower.<br/>
“Flattered that I’m telling on you. That’s new.” Daichi deadpanned, and Kuroo scoffed.</p><p>“I’d hardly classify that as telling.”<br/>
“Well, I can-”<br/>
“And that’s as far as this is going.” Iwaizumi interrupted. “There is no way for the direction that was going to end anywhere except a trainwreck.” </p><p>Daichi and Kuroo laughed.<br/>
“Fair enough.” Kuroo conceded. “Now, I was only able to eavesdrop so much. You have a crush?” he asked, looking at Iwaizumi, who sighed.<br/>
“...Kind of.” Iwaizumi admitted. “It’s just someone I’ve hung out with a few times, mostly for school stuff, it’s really nothing. I’m sure it’ll go away.”<br/>
“Just like how the one on Regius went away, right?” Iwaizumi felt himself flush.</p><p>“Yes.” Iwaizumi responded, knowing full well that he wasn’t fooling anyone.</p><p>Sure enough, Daichi and Kuroo’s expressions shifted in unison, each raising an eyebrow, mouths beginning to curve into something way too close to a smirk for comfort.</p><p>“Really now?” Kuroo started. “You hear that Dai?”<br/>
“You know, I <em>did</em> Tetsu.” Daichi responded. </p><p>“When do you think he got over it? Would that have been before or after last month when he said Regius was ‘incredibly kind and patient’ because he never snaps at press or fans, even when he’s clearly exhausted?”<br/>
“Oh no, it had to have been after that. Last week he mentioned something about Regius having a headache in some news footage where his helmet was off, so it was just his mask, and his left eye was twitching which, according to Iwaizumi, only happens when he’s stressed or in pain.”<br/>
“Ahh, so maybe it was-”</p><p>“Ok. Stop.” Iwaizumi interjected. “Fine. I do still have a crush on him, but that one’s pretty surface level.” he argued. </p><p>It wasn’t like he could actually know Regius that well, even with the rooftop visits that he hadn’t bothered to tell Daichi or Kuroo about yet. He let them think it was more of a celebrity crush, and less of a <em>‘Oh my god this nerd just tripped over a planter box and Ushijima is going to kill me if he broke it and now I’m helping him up, oh wow, he’s close and kinda smells like metal in a nice way and I can almost see his eyes through the mask and now I really wonder what they look like.’</em> type of crush.</p><p>Everyone knew which type was more serious.</p><p>“Plus, the way he is with Voltaic is not something I’m trying to step in the middle of.” Iwaizumi added, feeling himself blush even more at his previous thoughts. </p><p>He really didn’t need to get wrapped up in memories right now.<br/>
“Nothing wrong with surface level.” Kuroo pointed out. “But that <em>is</em> a fair point.” he snickered.<br/>
“Yeah. So why are you guys bugging me about this so much?”</p><p>“Because there’s a difference between crushing on a hero and feeling like you’re not good enough for a person in your life that you’d have a chance with if you asked.” Daichi pointed out.<br/>
“Exactly.” Kuroo added. “Now, who is this guy? There’s been an awful lot of talk, but I still don’t have a name or face to go with this mysterious crush.” </p><p>“No.” Iwaizumi said firmly. “I don’t feel like talking about him anymore, and it doesn’t matter because he doesn’t talk to me outside of studying. We’re done here.” he stated, ignoring how fiercely his face was burning.</p><p>“Two months ago you told me he writes and draws stuff on sticky notes and passes it to you in class.” Daichi pointed out.<br/>
“Ok, what does-”<br/>
“And that he sends you selfies.”<br/>
“Well-”<br/>
“Aaaaaand that he gave you a bit of a nickname, didn’t he?” Kuroo added, and both he and Daichi grinned.</p><p>“You two aren’t listening to me.” Iwaizumi almost growled as he stood.<br/>
“Dude, we’re just trying to tell you to consider all the reactants before hypothesising a product.” Kuroo responded with a grin.<br/>
“And I’m just trying to tell you two that this is my decision, and my life. You can stay out of it.” Iwaizumi snapped as he strode towards his room. </p><p>The living room was quiet in his wake, and his mind began to make enough noise to compensate. Why could he never just keep his head on straight? </p><p>His brain told him it was because he wasn’t straight.</p><p>He told his brain to fuck off with it’s gay jokes.</p><p>He exhaled as he collapsed onto his bed, trying to force the tension out of his muscles. They really weren’t trying to be mean. Iwaizumi knew that. But, like Daichi had said, Kuroo liked to stir the pot, and, eventually, that pot would splash him back, and he might get burned. Iwaizumi made a mental note to apologise to Daichi when he got back, though. It would be the least he could do.</p><p>Iwaizumi’s phone rang and he groaned, pulling himself back to the present as he tugged it out of his pocket. His brow furrowed as he answered it.<br/>
“Oikawa?”<br/>
“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa started. “Are you busy? I can call back.”<br/>
“No, no, this is actually pretty convenient.” Iwaizumi admitted.</p><p> <em>And, it’ll be a good distraction.</em> He thought to himself.</p><p>“My roommate's boyfriend is over, so this is a great excuse to let them have most of the place to themselves.” Iwaizumi added, deciding to leave out the fact that Daichi and Kuroo would be leaving soon anyway.</p><p>“Oh, nice. Wanna put me on video so it seems even more important?”<br/>
“Pfft, fine, but I know you just wanna see what my apartment looks like.” Iwaizumi said with a small grin as he quickly tapped the video call button.</p><p>A few moments later, Oikawa’s face filled the screen, and Iwaizumi blinked. His camera wasn’t exactly great, but Oikawa looked nice without glasses, though Iwaizumi had to wonder where they were. Did he have contacts in? Iwaizumi didn’t want him straining his eyes.</p><p>“You know, I resent that accusation.” Oikawa said as soon as he could. Huh, where was he? That background looked a little familiar. “Maybe I just wanted to see your grumpy face.” Oikawa said, and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Yeah, sure.” he responded, but he was beginning to smile. Oikawa was annoying at times, but here he was, making Iwaizumi grin just a few moments after losing his cool. “You need a favor, don’t you?”<br/>
“No!” Oikawa gasped. “I <em>want</em> a favor, so I’m going to respectfully request one.”<br/>
“That’s what you call this?” Iwaizumi laughed, and Oikawa gasped again.<br/>
“Yes! I-”</p><p>“What do you need-I’m sorry, what do you <em>want</em>?” Iwaizumi asked, shaking his head fondly.<br/>
“Oh, well,” Oikawa started, rubbing the back of his head. “I...was wrong.” he admitted, looking down. “Lit is kicking my ass, and I’m not even sure what it is I don’t understand. Would you be able to help me out with it?” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes again.</p><p>“See, I tried to tell you,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, I can help, but I’ve got work every afternoon for the rest of the week, and need help with calc. Does Saturday morning work for you?” he bargained.<br/>
“Yeah, that sounds great, thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver!” Oikawa said with a grin. “Now, what's the deal with you avoiding your roommate? You normally talk about him like you two get along.”</p><p>“We do.” Iwaizumi confirmed. “Just, feels a little weird when he’s with his boyfriend, ya know?” Iwaizumi explained vaguely, really not wanting to have to address what had happened in the living room over video call at eight in the evening while he was in bed and Oikawa was...outside? Huh, what was he doing? Oikawa laughed.<br/>
“I guess so.” Oikawa agreed, and Iwaizumi scoffed, dragging himself to the present. </p><p>It really wasn’t any of his business what Oikawa spent his Wednesday evenings doing.<br/>
“You’d probably know. How many people have you brought back and annoyed your roommates with?” Iwaizumi asked, and Oikawa’s left eye twitched a bit as he laughed.<br/>
“You know what they say about kissing and telling.” he responded. Huh. Where had Iwaizumi heard that expression recently?</p><p>“But what about you? Haven’t you ever bothered your roommate with someone you brought back?” he asked, and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.<br/>
“None of your business.”<br/>
“Oh c’mon!” Oikawa tried with a grin. “There must’ve been soooooooooooooooooomeone.”<br/>
“No there hasn’t.” </p><p>“Suuuuuuuure there hasn’t.” Oikawa said, wiggling his eyebrows, and Iwaizumi pinched the bridge of his nose.<br/>
“No, Oikawa, I’m not just trying to avoid giving names, there’s no one. There hasn’t been anyone.” </p><p>There was a very tense, awkward beat of silence during which Iwaizumi was acutely aware of being a twenty three year old college student.</p><p>“Aaaand that’s what I get for prying into people's personal lives.” Oikawa finally said with a wince. “Sorry, I-”<br/>
“Don’t be. The worst part of it is people reacting like that.” Iwaizumi snorted, and Oikawa smiled.</p><p>“Noted. And, uh, for the record,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I haven’t really dated anyone since high school.” he admitted.</p><p>“Really?” Iwaizumi asked, blinking. Oikawa definitely gave off the opposite air, despite the two of them having never really discussed thier romantic lives.<br/>
Oikawa laughed as he nodded.<br/>
“Yup. I mean, I’ve been on, like, one off dates here and there, but school and...stuff, keeps me pretty busy, you know?” Iwaizumi nodded.<br/>
“Yeah.” he agreed. “And it’s not like I really have anyone I’d want to, excep-'' Iwaizumi started, and then froze.</p><p><em>Whoops.</em> Iwaizumi thought. Oikawa wasn’t just gonna let that little slip of the tongue slide, was he?</p><p>Oikawa perked up.<br/>
“Iwa-chan, was that about to be you mentioning someone you like?”<br/>
“No. It was me trying to say that I don’t have anyone I like.”<br/>
“Are you sure it was?”<br/>
“You’re not gonna let this go, are you?” Iwaizumi groaned. Oikawa really was something else, switching conversational gears so fast. </p><p><em>That’s probably because he wants you to think about something nice since he made things awkward for you.</em> Iwaizumi’s brain supplied as Oikawa grinned. </p><p>“Nope! But I’m not gonna be, like, weird or judgy either.” Oikawa said with a shrug. Iwaizumi only let himself hesitate a beat. He might as well tell Oikawa about this, just in the interest of getting him off his back.</p><p>“Fine. Regius.” Iwaizumi stated. “But you know, he seems pretty sold on Voltaic, so I’m not about to try anything.” he added with a shrug. </p><p>For a moment, Iwaizumi thought Oikawa’s connection might’ve been interrupted. He was perfectly still, eyes wide, paling just a hint as he stared straight ahead.</p><p>“What?” Oikawa finally said, clearing his throat and shaking his head a bit. Iwaizumi shrugged.<br/>
“Yeah.” Iwaizumi felt the heat starting to creep up his face.<br/>
“O-oh, I-I see.” Oikawa said, clearing his throat again.</p><p>“So much for that no judgement thing.”<br/>
“What!? No! I’m not judging, I promise!” Oikawa yelped. “I guess I just, uh,” he tried.  “I kinda do too.” he finally blurted out, immediately going brilliantly red. </p><p>Iwaizumi blinked once, and then began laughing.</p><p>“Hey! Well, I mean, why do you even like him? And if you can, why can’t I?” Oikawa defended, and Iwaizumi grinned as he tried to get his laughter under control. </p><p>He should’ve seen this coming, honestly.</p><p>“Never said you couldn’t.” he pointed out when his laughter had mostly subsided. “But, he’s...patient.” Iwaizumi started. “He always takes his time with press people even when he’s had a long day, and he’s never mean to fans when they show up.” Iwaizumi started. “And, I don’t know, he’s a hero, right? One of the good guys.” he shrugged.</p><p><em>And he’s funny. He works hard, and he's good company during a sunset. And he’s clumsy.</em> Iwaizumi thought, remembering the time he’d asked Regius to grab him something out of the tool trunk. He had managed to break the padlock and then panic for fifteen minutes, even with Iwaizumi assuring him Ushijima had spares. </p><p>The next time he visited, he brought a padlock. It was the exact same model as the one he’d broken. Iwaizumi still wasn’t sure how something that started out so inconvenient had become so endearing. Maybe it was the fact that Regius had also offered to take it back himself if it didn’t work, and even then, had made sure to give Iwaizumi the receipt, just in case. Or maybe it was that Iwaizumi himself wasn't even sure where the hell the original lock had come from and couldn't find it in any of the hardware stores he checked. Just how long had it taken Regius to find it?</p><p>“Well, when he’s not being super freaking annoying.” Iwaizumi added, not forgetting the cactus incident, or the Evening Which Shall Not be Recounted. “What about you?”<br/>
“....No comment.”<br/>
“Oh come on, no comment isn’t an option!” Iwaizumi huffed, somehow going redder.<br/>
“Well,” Oikawa started, and then something was beeping and his brow furrowed, hand moving towards his ear. “Ah shit,” he muttered. “I gotta go, I’m so sorry,”</p><p>“Really? A fake important message so you don’t have to be embarrassed? After all that?”<br/>
“I’m serious, this is actually important, I promise.” Oikawa tried. “But, I guess I do owe you. I’ll...tell you on Saturday?” Iwaizumi sighed.<br/>
“Fine.” The call ended immediately, and Iwaizumi groaned. </p><p>What an evening. Iwaizumi dropped his phone and shoved his face into his pillow, replaying his split second decision to not tell Oikawa how he felt about him. He could’ve. But he felt like he shouldn’t, at the same time. He just groaned, moving his thoughts back to their conversation.</p><p>Why had Oikawa been so weird about the hero thing? Most people had some form of crush on a hero or celebrity, how was this different? Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed in his pillow. </p><p>That wasn’t even the only weird thing that had happened, was it? Oikawa’s eye, Iwaizumi remembered. Had he seen it twitch like that before? He knew he’d seen it somewhere, but couldn’t place it right now. And where had Iwaizumi heard the ‘kiss and tell’ phrase used? It had been-</p><p>Iwaizumi sat up, eyes widening. It had been in some press coverage of Regius from earlier in the week. In which his left eye had been twitching like hell (A subtle thing, but still detectable since the mask was form fitting enough) </p><p>Oh. </p><p>Oh no. </p><p>Iwaizumi couldn’t be right. If he was right…</p><p>And Iwaizumi realised why Oikawa’s background had looked familiar. If he was right, that was the roof garden. <em>Iwaizumi’s roof garden.</em></p><p>But, Iwaizumi reasoned with himself, that was all too flimsy to really be proof. The camera hadn’t been the best, so it could’ve just been a building with a roof garden, not necessarily the one that Iwaizumi maintained, although, he almost would’ve sworn that was <em>his</em> cactus in the background. </p><p>They could both, coincidentally, have the same eye twitch. Thinking back, Iwaizumi had noticed Oikawa’s eye twitching a bit during things like finals or big projects and papers, and hell, Oikawa could’ve even picked the ‘Kiss and tell’ thing up from Regius. </p><p>Iwaizumi was out of bed in a second, going to his files on Regius’s media presence from a sociology project about heroes from the previous semester. </p><p>It didn’t take much looking to confirm the stress-eye-twitch by watching videos from things like studio interviews and fan interactions versus when he’d just finished a fight or similar mission. He also confirmed the use of the phrase ‘Kiss and tell’ becoming prevalent about a year ago, when Regius started being seen around with Voltaic more frequently. </p><p>But, Iwaizumi would nee more, if he was really going to entertain this possibility.</p><p><em>Well, at least that corkboard and red thread Daichi gave me's gonna get some use.</em> Iwaizumi realised with a laugh.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Tipping Point</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Oikawa was nearly swaying where he stood, head throbbing, eyes aching. It had been such a long night and the deep navy sky was beginning to pale to indigo, sunrise not a long way off. Oikawa still wasn’t sure if he’d make it until then. </p><p>Oikawa hardly even had the energy to smile at Voltaic as he nearly stumbled towards him for the customary after-success bow and hand kiss for the mission they'd just finished</p><p>“Are you alright?” Voltaic asked as Oikawa got close enough to hear him.<br/>
“Fine, why ever do you ask?” Oikawa murmured, and Voltaic scoffed.<br/>
“I’ll believe that when I see it.” He said flatly. </p><p>Oikawa dipped into the bow, grabbing Voltaic’s hand. He hit the lowest point in the bow, and felt himself start to tip forward. His grip on Voltaic’s hand increased before, all of a sudden, he was stable, feeling like there was an invisible barrier around him. </p><p>“You bastard. What’ve you done to yourself now?” Voltaic muttered, and Oikawa just pressed a kiss to the back of his hand quickly.<br/>
“Thank you.” Oikawa whispered, and then Voltaic was using the same barriers to gently right Oikawa. </p><p>“I thought I told you to take a break.” Voltaic sighed as he scooped Oikawa into his arms. “When was the last time you slept?” Oikawa closed his eyes as he felt Voltaic’s electric fields buzzing around them. </p><p>Oikawa vaguely wondered how long it had taken Voltaic to work out exactly how flying with electrostatic repulsion worked. Talking about that, even with his limited knowledge and Voltaic’s surely tedious and detailed explanation, probably would’ve been a more pleasant conversation than the one Oikawa was headed for.</p><p>“Yeah. Sorry. I will.” Oikawa said after a beat<br/>
“You didn’t answer my question.” Voltaic said evenly, almost coldly. Oikawa inhaled as he tensed.<br/>
“...I got about an hour yesterday, during lunch,” Oikawa admitted, and Voltaic’s grip on him increased.<br/>
“And before that?”<br/>
“...six hours overnight Saturday into Sunday.”</p><p>“What the hell? Are you kidding me?!” Voltaic nearly hissed. “Dude, <em>it's Friday!</em>”<br/>
“I’m sorry.”<br/>
“You better be.” Voltaic retorted. “What the hell were you thinking? No wonder you’ve been lagging, I thought it was just you being stuck in your own head again. How much caffeine have you had this week?”</p><p>Oikawa laughed. He knew he probably shouldn’t have, but didn’t really care enough to try to stop it.<br/>
“Too much.”<br/>
“Take this seriously.” Voltaic ordered. “What’s been keeping you up for that long”</p><p>Oikawa hesitated.<br/>
“School.” he finally said. And it was, technically, at least two thirds of the truth.<br/>
“And nothing else? <em>No one else?</em>”<br/>
“Do you just want me to say it out loud? Cause it sounds like you already think you know.” Oikawa responded. </p><p>“Dude, you gotta stop.” Voltaic said. “This is getting ridiculous. I know I already said this, but I don’t like suffering, I like chaos, ok? And this is definitely turning into the former. When are you just gonna talk to them?”<br/>
“You really care that much about my love life? I’m moved.”<br/>
“Tooru.” Voltaic said sharply, and Oikawa blinked. </p><p>When? When was he going to talk to Iwaizumi? </p><p>Oikawa was silent for several long moments, remembering Wednesday evening when he’d swung by the rooftop. Iwaizumi hadn’t been there, and Oikawa had slipped his mask and helmet off and made a quick call, wondering if Iwaizumi was ok. He had had to cover with the homework help thing, though, in all honesty, he could almost always use the help, even if he didn't need it, and he hadn't been in any rush to hang up on Iwaizumi. </p><p>Iwaizumi, who, apparently, had a crush on him.</p><p>A crush on Regius, not Oikawa Tooru. They were different. Weren't they? </p><p>Oikawa sighed, shifting into Voltaic’s chest a bit.<br/>
“I’m not planning to.” Oikawa responded quietly, but steadily.<br/>
“And why not?”<br/>
“They told me about someone they like.” Oikawa finally admitted, falling silent for a long moment. </p><p>Clearly that had to mean he and Iwaizumi would never work anyway. </p><p>Because Regius <em>wasn’t</em> separate from Oikawa, not really. Sure, he chose certain traits of his own to highlight when he was in suit, but he was still himself. If Iwaizumi only liked Regius, and not Oikawa, that didn’t bode well for a relationship of any kind.</p><p>“That’s the only reason?”<br/>
“Well, yeah. I mean, pretty much.” And, technically, that was also about two thirds true. “Why?” </p><p>Voltaic sighed as he shook his head.<br/>
“Ok, look.” he started. “That stings, for sure, but it’s not like it erased your feelings. You can’t keeping going like this, running yourself ragged to distract yourself from it. You <em>need</em> to work this out with them.” he said firmly, grip tightening on Oikawa slightly as they flew. “How they react isn’t really the important thing. The important thing is dealing with the thing in your life that kept you from sleeping for almost a week.” he pointed out. “And besides, what's the worst that could happen?”</p><p>“Failing lit.” Oikawa answered without thinking. </p><p>“If it means you’ll be on the other side of all this, whatever the outcome, then I say that’s a risk you have to take.” Voltaic snorted as he landed on a fire escape. “You’re too much fun and too good at what you do to be so off your game and out of it for so long.” he added as he sat Oikawa down. </p><p>Oikawa blinked a few times, deciding to chalk the moisture in his eyes up to the wind from the flight.<br/>
“You know, that might just be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Oikawa laughed, rubbing his eyes<br/>
“Well, don’t expect it to get much better than that.”<br/>
“Ok, ok, got it. Sappy moment over. But, thank you. Seriously. That means a lot to me.” he added.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I love you and all that, now get inside,” Voltaic started, yanking the window open. “Brush your teeth, change out of your suit, and go pass out for twelve hours, minimum.”<br/>
“Fine, fine,” Oikawa laughed lightly again as he stumbled through the window and into the bathroom still smiling lightly as he started working on getting the first two items from that list done.  </p><p>It took a little more effort and time  than Oikawa wanted to admit, but when he finally did stumble out of the bathroom, Kuroo was dressed for bed too, just zipping up the duffle bag he kept his suit in.<br/>
“Thanks.” Oikawa managed. “For trying to, ya know, make sure I keep myself from breaking down.” Kuroo just shook his head as he stood from the couch.<br/>
“It’s a <em>tall</em> order,” Kuroo quipped, ruffling Oikawa’s hair. </p><p>Ah, the beautiful, incredible, lone, centimeter Oikawa had over Kuroo.</p><p>“But I do my best. Now go to sleep, and if I hear an alarm go off, I’m throwing it out the window. It’s friday so I know you don’t have class.” Oikawa just nodded, too tired to do much else.</p><p>“Don’t worry, sleep sounds really, really good right now Tetsu. Thanks.” Oikawa managed as he stumbled into his bedroom, thinking he might've heard Kuroo yell something about work tomorrow.</p><p>Oikawa was happy to say he didn’t hear it. He was asleep the second he hit the bed, only having one last thought. </p><p>The thought that maybe Kuroo was right. Maybe when Oikawa stopped trying to distract himself and stopped running himself into the ground for a few days, then he could talk to Iwaizumi. </p><p>Maybe.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>“I really, really, hope you know I got you that as a joke.” Daichi said from the doorway to Iwaizumi’s bedroom late on Friday morning, looking equal parts confused, concerned, and amused.</p><p>“Of course.”  Iwaizumi responded without looking up from the center of his little nest of papers, his laptop, phone, and tablet, facing a cork board filled with thumbtacks, pictures, notes, newspaper and magazines clippings, and, of course, red string. This was only the third day he’d been looking, but he almost felt like he had enough.</p><p>Almost.</p><p>Iwaizumi glanced up at Daichi.<br/>
“Did you need something?”<br/>
“I think I had a question, but I’ll be honest, I forgot it the second I saw all this.” Daichi admitted. “Please tell me this is for a class.”<br/>
“You know I don’t like lying.”<br/>
“Oh my god. What is it then?”<br/>
“I probably shouldn’t tell you.”<br/>
“Well that doesn’t sound suspicious or dangerous.”</p><p>“Glad we agree. I’ll see you if you remember that question.” Iwaizumi said, shifting his attention back to his work.<br/>
“Are you really not going to tell me what all this is?”<br/>
“No. Not right now at least.” Iwaizumi shrugged.<br/>
“Alright, well full marks for honesty.” Daichi said, shaking his head as he left the doorway, still looking slightly stunned. Iwaizumi was willing to bet that was the only reason Daichi hadn’t been more intent on seeing the board; sheer disorientation.</p><p>Now, where had Iwaizumi been? </p><p>Ah yes, the handwriting. He had plenty of samples of Oikawa’s handwriting, he just needed to see if he could get one of Regius’s. Had he ever written while on the rooftop? No, no, Iwaizumi would’ve remembered that. He never brought anything with him to the rooftop that didn't leave with him, except-</p><p>The receipt. The receipt from the padlock from over a month ago. </p><p>Iwaizumi quickly dug through his work folder. It had to be here. He had kept it, hadn’t he? Regius had given it to him along with the padlock, saying something overly considerate and understanding about returning it if it didn’t work. He’d written an apology on the back. </p><p>Iwaizumi growled in frustration as he got to the bottom of the folder, finding it receipt free. </p><p>Had he thrown it away? He had known he had no intentions of returning the padlock, but…</p><p>Wait.</p><p><em>Wait. It’s at work!</em> Iwaizumi remembered, being struck by a vivid memory of stuffing the receipt in the top left drawer of his desk. </p><p>He began taking down the notes as fast as he could, shoving them all in the folder as his heart rate picked up. He wouldn’t be needing them on the board anymore if that receipt was still there.</p><p>Iwaizumi scrambled to his feet, racing across his room to throw his jacket on as fast as he could. If Iwaizumi was right, if they really were the same person, then maybe that meant-<br/>
“Oh, hey!” Daichi called from the living room. “I remembered the question,” Daichi continued as Iwaizumi swept the rest of his stuff up, shoving it in his school bag. </p><p>Maybe it meant that he had sought Iwaizumi out on the rooftop. That maybe he wanted to be around Iwaizumi, <em> chose</em> to be around Iwaizumi, at least in some way. And as he thought that, every single selfie, every silly little joke, each and every post-it note, all began to seem even more meaningful. Iwaizumi really, really needed to <em>talk</em> to him though, whatever the outcome of the conversation.</p><p>“It was Makki, he wanted to know if you were working to-today?” Daichi finished uncertainly, watching from the couch as Iwaizumi threw open his bedroom door, nearly breathless.</p><p><em>Oh yeah,</em> Iwaizumi remembered. <em>I have a shift today.</em> </p><p>And it was Friday. Iwaizumi felt a huge grin start to spread across his face. Oh, this worked out <em>nicely</em>.</p><p>“Yes. Yes I am.”</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa blinked as he stirred, wincing against the late afternoon sunlight pouring in through his bedroom window. It took him several long moments before his initial disorientation wore off and he remembered where he was and why. </p><p>He yawned as he sat up and stretched, body already feeling leagues better than when he’d fallen into bed. His mind was taking a little longer to catch up as he sat on the edge of his bed, pondering Kuroo’s words.</p><p>Could he really just talk to Iwaizumi? Would it be that simple? </p><p>Oikawa groaned as he rubbed his eyes. He didn’t know. That sounded too good to be true. He flopped onto his back, yawning again. </p><p>No. It would be that simple. </p><p>Oikawa would make it that simple. He hated how long he'd run from it. And <em>why</em>? Why had he run? He didn’t usually have problems with looking before leaping. His impulses and faith in others made him a good hero. They’d kept him and people around him alive more than once. They even helped in school, making group projects easier since Oikawa was able to know his partners would do what they could, even when it wasn't the full amount assigned, and his people reading helped him gauge how much slack he'd need to pick up.</p><p>So why did he hesitate with Iwaizumi? He blinked slowly, trying to puzzle it out.</p><p>Oikawa didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to anymore. He was going to face this if it snapped his heart in two, shattered it into a million pieces, or filled it to the brim with warmth. </p><p>He would face this.</p><p>Having made that decision, he was faced with the challenge of figuring out what to say and how to say it. He sighed as he absently reached for his phone, and quickly dismissed the idea of saying it over text. Maybe he could say it tomorrow, after homework, that would probably work well.</p><p>He looked at his lock screen for a long moment, staring at the time. 5:51 pm. He wasn’t entirely surprised he’d slept that long honestly, he really did tend to <em>power down</em> when he powered down, but something else had grabbed his attention. Something his still slightly foggy brain was trying, without much success, to understand.</p><p><em>It’s Friday,</em> Oikawa finally realized, about ten seconds later, understanding smacking into him, his eyes widening with the impact. <em>Iwaizumi.</em></p><p>Oikawa quickly glanced towards his suit. He knew that he could make it to Iwaziumi’s garden in half an hour if he was pushing himself. Sunset was right around 6:30. He could have the suit on in less than four minutes. That wasn’t really much spare time, but...</p><p>Oikawa exhaled as he looked away. He knew Kuroo would kill him if he used it for something frivolous, especially after this past week.</p><p><em>Sunset watching is hardly a life or death situation.</em> he reasoned with himself. </p><p>Even if it was one of the things he found himself looking forward to every single week, watching the skyline fill with color and burst with vivid warmth before melting into something cooler and softer, the stars flecking the sky, and the temperature dropping as much as it could in a city as he and Iwaizumi sat next to each other quietly.</p><p>Even if this would be the last time Oikawa saw Iwaizumi before Iwaizumi, inevitably, politely told Oikawa Tooru ‘No, I don’t feel the same way, sorry’. </p><p>Oikawa was climbing the fire escape at 5:55 pm, suited up. </p><p><em>Well,</em> Oikawa thought to himself as he got to the top of his apartment building.  <em>I mean, technically, this is me doing what he wants. I’m talking to Iwa.</em> he thought, grinning as he took off.</p><p>As Oikawa ran along the rooftops, it felt like he was racing the sun itself, watching it sink lower and lower on the horizon. He couldn’t miss this sunset. Not today. Not after eight solid months of being on top of that roof every single Friday at sunset. </p><p>He almost thought it was comedic, that he was fighting tooth and nail to be there, even though he doubted it meant as much to Iwaizumi as it did to him. </p><p><em>Though,</em> Oikawa thought to himself as he activated his power, feeling his muscles respond. <em>Since Iwaizumi likes Regius and what they do together, then maybe we feel the same way about sunsets, if nothing else.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A (extraordinary) rooftop chat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Oikawa felt like he should’ve been more surprised that he arrived with several minutes to spare, but he hardly had time for that as he quickly scanned the rooftop garden, panting from his sprint.</p><p>“Over here,” Iwaizumi called as he stood up and tugged off his gardening gloves, Oikawa all but whipping towards his voice. “A little late today.” Iwaizumi observed as he strode over to the open tool trunk and dropped the gloves into it.</p><p>“Yeah. Sorry.” Oikawa managed, letting himself catch his breath as Iwaizumi casually started getting watering supplies.<br/>
“It’s fine.” Iwaizumi said. “We never said we’d always both be up here on Fridays at sunset anyway.” he pointed out, and Oikawa shrugged as he approached.<br/>
“I know. But we are. And I like it, so why not keep a good thing going, ya know?” he said with a smile. “Now, can I help?”</p><p>“Yeah. By going and sitting at the table until I finish.” Iwaizumi deadpanned, and Oikawa inclined his head.<br/>
“Fair enough.” he said, holding his hands up as he strode to the table and sat down, easing his helmet off. </p><p>The feeling of this being a <em>Last</em> crept into the back of Oikawa’s mind, making him want to get the most out of this sunset. To do his best to imprint every detail of this rooftop onto his brain. So he shook his head and focused on doing just that, looking out over the beautiful, familiar, garden.</p><p>Raised planter boxes containing a mix of still young fruit trees surrounded the edge of the roof, except for two places; the fire escape, and a roughly ten foot gap directly in front of the circular wooden table that provided a clear view out to the city, the small stone ledge lined with a small planter box filled with succulents.</p><p>There were two more rows of raised beds that ran almost the length of the roof, creating the effect of aisles lined with a mix of vegetables and flowers. And, of course, there was the cactus at the end of the box furthest from the table.</p><p>Finally, what Oikawa was paying most attention to right now, was the smaller pots filled with herbs and perennial flowers. Iwaizumi moved them around depending on criteria (or maybe a schedule) that was still completely unknown to Oikawa.</p><p>This evening, Oikawa noted, they were mostly off to the right of the table, with a few having been placed near the roof access point and tool trunk, where Iwaizumi was finishing up watering them.</p><p>Oikawa doubted he’d cease to be amazed by the care that was given to all the plants. Iwaizumi hadn’t even been the one that wanted a roof garden, but when it was given to him, he hadn’t done things by halves. It was incredible. <em>He</em> was incredible.</p><p>Oikawa took a deep breath. </p><p><em>I don’t do things by halves either.</em> He reminded himself. </p><p>Tomorrow morning he’d make good on that.</p><p>Right? Or maybe he should try to find another time to talk to Iwaizumi? Maybe one that hadn’t already been designated for homework? And how prepared should he be going in? What would be the best way to handle it if things didn’t go well? Should he-</p><p>“You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Iwaizumi commented as he dropped into the seat across from Oikawa.<br/>
“What?” Oikawa blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts as Iwaizumi shook his head.</p><p>“You’re gonna hurt yourself.” he repeated. “I can see how much your face is scrunched up <em>through</em> your mask. One brain can only hold so many thoughts. Stop trying to find the limit, ok?” he elaborated, brow drawing together in what looked a whole lot like concern.</p><p>“Fine, fine, mom.” Oikawa responded with a smile<br/>
“Do <em>not</em> start that again.” Iwaizumi said, voice steely as he leveled Oikawa with a fierce glare that had just the tiniest bit of embarrassment hidden underneath it.</p><p>Oikawa stifled a laugh and quickly pressed his hands together.<br/>
“I won’t, sorry, sorry.” he said. Iwaizumi glared at him for another beat before sighing.<br/>
“Well, what is it then?” he asked. “What’s taking up all that brain space this evening?” </p><p>Oikawa didn’t let himself hesitate.<br/>
“This.” he responded, gesturing around, to the roof, the sinking sun, Iwaizumi himself. “I was just thinking about how much I’ve enjoyed these past few months, hanging out here, and with you. It’s been really nice.” </p><p>Oikawa’s mind flickered to the way that statement could be applied to school as well. Though Iwaizumi seemed more standoffish when they studied, he had studied more with Oikawa in the last semester than any time before that, though, they did also have more classes that overlapped, or that one of them had taken in the past and the other was currently taking. Whatever his reason, Oikawa was glad Iwaizumi had rolled his eyes and told Oikawa <em>You can stop whining about it, ok? I'll help you, if you want.</em> when he'd seen Oikawa's class list that fateful semester.</p><p>Oikawa shook his head, dragging himself out of his thoughts as he continued. </p><p>“It means a lot to me. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you.” he finished, looking out to the sinking sun. It wouldn’t be long before that sky was aglow.</p><p>“Wow, proof that you’re capable of being serious for more than a half a second at a time.” Iwaizumi chuckled.<br/>
“Iwa-aaaizaumi!” Oikawa yelped, barely catching the nickname as he faced Iwaizumi. “I happen to be capable of being serious for three full seconds at a time.” Oikawa responded, and Iwaizumi snorted lightly.<br/>
“I think I’ll wait to believe that until I see it.” he answered, still grinning. “But, really? Thank <em>you</em>.” he added, looking out to the city. “I was honestly pretty upset when Ushijima dropped this on me, but having you up here has...almost made it worth it.” Oikawa smiled at that.</p><p>“Aww, I knew you cared about me.” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as he faced Oikawa again.<br/>
“Of course I do.” Iwaizumi said simply, and as his chest warmed up, right along with the evening sky, Oikawa was struck with just how difficult tomorrow was going to be. He reminded himself that growth always was though, and smiled.</p><p>“I mean, I <em>am</em> a delight, so,”<br/>
“Do you <em>want</em> me to bring up the potting soil incident or-<br/>
“Anyway!” Oikawa interjected loudly, internally thanking his mask for hiding his growing blush, not for the first, or last, time.</p><p>Iwaizumi snickered, but let Oikawa continue.<br/>
“You wanted to know what was on my mind, so now I wanna know what's on your mind. Whatcha thinking about?” Oikawa just hoped the incredibly subtle subject change would actually work. Or that Iwaizumi would at least have enough mercy to ignore its awkwardness.</p><p>Unlike Oikawa, Iwaizumi hesitated for a long moment.</p><p>“Someone.” he finally said, his expression softening, mouth turning up slightly into a gentle smile as the evening light continued warming. Sunset would be any moment now.<br/>
“Yeah?”<br/>
“I've known them for...a while,” Iwaizumi nodded as he continued. “Kinda loud, a little whiny and juvenile sometimes. They have a little bit of a thing with grudges.”</p><p>“Sounds like you don’t like ‘em.” Oikawa observed. </p><p>Iwaizumi shook his head.<br/>
“That’s because I hadn’t finished.” Oikawa blinked, watching as the light illuminating Iwaizumi’s face tinted with young, bright, reds from the sunset. “They’re also kind and patient. They’re supportive, and caring. They’re funny. They draw really cute doodles on sticky notes.” Oikawa felt his heart rate pick up.</p><p>What? </p><p>That was...him. </p><p>Right? Was Iwaizumi about to tell Regius that he liked Oikawa? After telling Oikawa that he liked Regius? No, that couldn’t be what was about to happen.</p><p>“Really?” Oikawa managed, forcing those thoughts out his mind and focusing on Iwaizumi. </p><p>Iwaizumi smiled as he nodded, but it fell quickly.<br/>
“I...haven’t exactly been great to them.” Iwaizumi admitted, wincing slightly. “It’s not an excuse, and I’m working on an apology, but I was...scared.”<br/>
“Scared?” </p><p>Iwaizumi exhaled.<br/>
“Yeah. I care about them, but...I felt like there was no way for them to care about me, like I didn’t deserve it.” Iwaizumi muttered, shaking his head.<br/>
“Is it...anyone I know?” </p><p>Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed for a beat, and he stared at Oikawa, before an expression of near wonder spread over his face. Oikawa briefly wondered why, but was hit in the chest with a strong pang of something warm buzzing in his chest that left him completely enamored by the way the light was reflecting off of Iwaizumi’s dark hair and dancing in his forest green eyes and little else.</p><p>“Sorry. I forgot something.” Iwaizumi said as he looked at Oikawa with that same expression, amusement and light still dancing in his eyes. “They’re also terrible at keeping secrets.” </p><p>Oikawa felt all that warmth drain from his chest as the previously somewhat cloudy picture came into almost painfully clear resolution, revealing a picture he hadn’t dared believe it might. </p><p>A picture he wasn’t sure if he wanted to see or not. </p><p>This was either going to be the best or worst thing that had ever happened to Oikawa, he felt fairly sure of that at least.</p><p>“Oh?” Oikawa swallowed.<br/>
“Yeah.” Iwaizumi’s grin shifted into something a bit more smug, a bit more knowing. Oikawa didn’t know what to do, and Iwaizumi hesitated for a moment, holding eye contact through the mask, like he was trusting Oikawa to be looking back at him. </p><p>It seemed like he was holding a door open, and Oikawa couldn’t tell if he wanted to step through it. Did Iwaizumi have real proof? Was he just guessing? What was he planning to do now that he knew, if he knew? Was Oikawa entirely overreading this? </p><p>Iwaizumi’s expression went back to something a lot closer to neutral, though, maybe tinged with disappointment, as he shrugged, leaning back and looking out off the rooftop.<br/>
“Anyway, that’s what’s on my mind. Now, c’mon,” he gestured towards the sky. “We’re missing the show.” </p><p>Oikawa’s breath hitched as he tried in vain to process everything at once, watching Iwaizumi close that door in front of him as he tried to figure out where on earth it could lead.</p><p>“Wait.” he started without thinking. Iwaizumi glanced sidelong at him.<br/>
“For what? I’m not going anywhere.”<br/>
“I-I mean,” Oikawa tried. He took a deep breath. </p><p><em>But I am.</em> Oikawa thought. To hell with it. He felt like he could hardly breathe from all the feelings and thoughts and possibilities buzzing in his chest and mind, but he remembered what he’d thought earlier. </p><p>
  <em>I’m not going to run from this anymore.</em>
</p><p>Maybe he didn’t need to know where the door led.</p><p>“I have someone kind of like that too.” That got Iwaizumi’s attention a little better, and he raised an eyebrow. </p><p>Maybe, at least this once, Oikawa could take a leap into the dark.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Well, kind of. But not exactly.” Oikawa started, deciding to rely on his gut since his heart and brain seemed to be temporarily offline due to the sheer volume of things they were trying to process.</p><p>“They’re caring and kind of a worrier. They’ve got a bit of a temper, but know how to apologise and genuinely correct when it becomes a problem. They’re funny and they’re a good teacher, when they remember to slow down. They have a good memory for favorites too.” he said, watching as the shadows on Iwaizumi’s face began to get darker and more pronounced, contrasted with the vivid, deep red light from the sunset.</p><p><em>He’s gorgeous too.</em> Oikawa thought. <em>From the way he looks during sunset, to the way he pouts when school work’s stressing him out, to the way he smiles when he laughs and covers his mouth because of a bad pun I doodled on a post-it.</em></p><p>“I care about them a lot, and I was scared too.” Oikawa swallowed. “Scared that he didn’t really like me for...me.” Iwaizumi tilted his head.</p><p>“Really?” he repeated, and Oikawa nodded, glancing down.<br/>
“Yeah. And he takes really, really good care of plants.” Oikawa added with a wince.</p><p>Well, he was fully commited now, wasn't he? </p><p>“You know, it’s interesting,” Iwaizumi started, and Oikawa looked up slowly, finding the absolute smuggest expression ever seen on a human being plastered on Iwaizumi’s face. </p><p>What? Oikawa’s stomach started to fall through the building they were sitting atop. Was this about to end horribly?</p><p>“Most people would call having a crush on yourself narcissism.” </p><p>Oikawa felt his eyes widen as his life (namely, that conversation) flashed before his eyes, and his soul started to leave his body. </p><p>At least he was wearing a mask.</p><p>“I-Well-it’s-in my defense,” Oikawa tried, face burning as Iwaizumi burst out laughing, because, while Oikawa would be damned if that wasn’t a sound he wanted to hear more overall, he didn't really want to be hearing it right at this second. </p><p>“In my defense,” Oikawa repeated, slightly louder, and Iwaizumi finally muffled his laughter enough to look up at Oikawa. “You put me on the spot and you’d already mentioned it so it was all I could think of.” Iwaizumi’s face struggled down into a neutral expression but his voice still wavered with amusment as he responded.<br/>
“You couldn’t have said any celebrity? Or any of your exes?”<br/>
“No! Contrary to popular belief, and <em>like I had told you about a minute beforehand,</em> I actually haven’t dated since high school!” Oikawa almost shrieked. </p><p>No, in this second, Oikawa was only vaguely aware of a desire to shift the spotlight off of himself and maybe get just a little bit of payback.</p><p>“And I hardly keep up with celebrities. I’m kinda busy between this,” Oikawa said, gesturing to his suit. “And that!” he gestured to Iwaizumi’s backpack. </p><p>Wait, what was that doing here? Iwaizumi usually didn’t do homework during Friday sunsets.</p><p>“Fine, fine,” Iwaizumi conceded with a grin, holding his hands up, and Oikawa huffed as he looked down again. </p><p>Well...Iwaizumi didn’t seem mad that they were the same person, at least. Even vaguely considering that made Oikawa’s chest do something very funny and nice, but that could wait just a moment, because there was something Oikawa needed to know first.</p><p>“How did you figure it out?”</p><p>
  <em>What did I do wrong?</em>
</p><p>“...Just a gut feeling.”<br/>
“Oh bullshit.” Oikawa scoffed, his face burning so fiercely he was nearly tempted to take his mask off.<br/>
“Ok, ok.” Iwaizumi huffed. “I...here.” he grumbled, lightly kicking his backpack towards Oikawa, who snatched it up and began rummaging through it. </p><p>Honestly, he was almost too impressed to be mad. </p><p>Iwaizumi had every single newspaper clipping of Regius, height and build comparisons, some notes about the eye twitch (Oikawa hadn’t even realised that could be seen through his mask), a handwriting sample, and several other pieces of evidence. </p><p>Oikawa’s brow furrowed as he reached the bottom of the bag.<br/>
“So, I see the receipt,” Oikawa started, holding up the slip of paper that he’d doodled a small frowny face and wrote ‘I’m so sorry! I hope this one works!’ on the back of. </p><p>(He made a mental note to only write things down while he was in suit when absolutely necessary from now on)</p><p>“But, where’s your other handwriting sample?” Iwaizumi started to go red at that, and Oikawa suspected he might be getting that payback sooner rather than later.</p><p>“...I recognised it from school stuff.”<br/>
“Uh huh.” Oikawa nodded. “But, that could be said about my favorite drink too, right?” Oikawa asked, grinning. “And yet, I see here that you’ve checked with several other people to confirm my favorite drink.” </p><p>(He also made a mental note to only answer questions in broad generalizations from now on as well. He didn’t want any other press questions about coffee resulting in someone else finding out about him.)</p><p>“It would be weirder to go around asking about your handwriting.” Iwaizumi pointed out as Oikawa continued rummaging through the bag, humming in response.</p><p>“Ooo, wait, what's this?” Oikawa asked as he pulled out a box about the size of a tissue box. </p><p>Iwaizumi went even redder.<br/>
“It’s nothing.” Oikawa’s smile grew. Jackpot.</p><p>“Nothing? Ok, so I can look inside, right?” Iwaizumi glared daggers at Oikawa, who stared right back, trusting Iwaizumi to know he was grinning.</p><p>“Fine.” Iwaizumi eventually huffed, looking back out towards the cooling evening sky as Oikawa opened the box.<br/>
“Oh?” he said softly as he stared down into it, a small mug smiling up at him. </p><p>“<em>Oh.</em>” he repeated as he began to sift through the box, his face starting to warm again as that funny feeling spread through his whole chest.<br/>
There was the cat with a bad pun about fish. There was the star with sunglasses. There was the tiny Iwaizumi next to a godzilla, and so, so many more.</p><p>“You kept them?”</p><p>Inside this box was, if Oikawa was right, every single pale teal post-it note Oikawa had doodled on, written a note on, and passed to Iwaizumi in class or stuck on his homework.</p><p>Iwaizumi groaned, his own face bright red.<br/>
“You’re just...good at drawing.” he muttered, and Oikawa laughed. Oikawa was a lot of things. An exceptionally talented pencil artist was <em>not</em> one of them. “Great. Now you’re laughing at me.” </p><p>Oikawa shook his head, rolling his eyes.<br/>
“One, you laughed at me earlier.” he pointed out. “And two, I’m not laughing at you because I think it was childish or weird or anything like that. I’m laughing because I’m happy.” Oikawa explained, nearly clutching the box to his chest. </p><p>He had never said it, but he had almost treated them as little love letters so secret that no one, not even the person they were intended for, would recognise them as such. But Iwaizumi had, at least to some degree, thought of them as important. </p><p>“Iwa, this is really, really sweet.” </p><p>Iwaizumi went even redder as he responded.<br/>
“...I’m sorry.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “For laughing at you, I mean. I...It also wasn’t to mock you. That was just a really amusing thing for you to say. I won’t laugh at you again.” Oikawa shook his head fondly, his grin so wide that all he could taste was mask.<br/>
“I bet you will. And you’ll apologise and we’ll work everything out and be happy together.” Oikawa shrugged, still smiling lightly.</p><p>Iwaizumi’s eyes widened.<br/>
“What?”<br/>
“Didn't I already tell you how much I loved your ability to apologise? Some people have a really hard time with that.” Oikawa pointed out, smile fading a bit. He considered himself one of them, given his trouble with grudges.</p><p>“No, no I meant the other part.” Iwaizumi said, sitting up more. “The ‘happy together’ part.”<br/>
“Yeah? What do-” And then Oikawa realised what that could have insinuated. </p><p>He had been thinking more along the lines of ‘happily watching the sunset together’, having, in his happiness about the post-it’s, somehow forgotten their earlier declarations of deeper affections and what those declarations could mean for them.</p><p>“Well, I mean- I wasn’t- -I didn’t mean like- if you don’t want to-” Oikawa rambled, but Iwaizumi quickly cut him off<br/>
“No. No, I want to.” he blurted out.<br/>
“You...want to?” Oikawa asked, and Iwaizumi nodded. “To…?”<br/>
“To...work things out with you. To be together.”</p><p>They were both still for a long moment, staring at each other in the early, soft, twilight as the stars just barely became visible above them, pale moonlight beginning to peek over the horizon, though it was hard to make out over the city lights.</p><p>“Isn’t this the part where you kiss?” a voice asked in Oikawa’s ear suddenly, and he shrieked, pitching back and falling between two of the smaller pots, his armor clanging against the terra cotta pots and concrete rooftop loudly.</p><p>“What the hell man?!?!” Oikawa hissed into his com, and Kuroo laughed.<br/>
“Hey, you’re the one that turned your com on.” he pointed out. </p><p>Oikawa cursed his own force of habit. He’d been suiting up and switched it on completely on auto pilot, even remembering fussing with it like he almost always did. To his sleep-muddled brain, it had been the perfectly logical, normal, thing to do.</p><p>“But I’ll be honest,” Kuroo continued. “it’s been good background noise. Kinda like a soap opera, just with less violence.”<br/>
“I’ll show you violence, where are you?” </p><p>“Dude, what the hell?” Iwaizumi was asking all of a sudden, reaching out to help Oikawa up. </p><p>Oikawa just gave a strained laugh as he tried to turn the com off, halfway slapping at the inside of his wrist.<br/>
“Nothing, nothing, I just gotta fix something real quick.” Kuroo’s laughter filled his earpiece.</p><p>“Oh, we both know that’s not happening. You’re worse with new equipment than you are at taking care of yourself.”<br/>
“Fine, I’ll just bust it.” Oikawa retorted, knowing that Kenma would’ve definitely done too good of a job for Oikawa to just slap in the general area of the controls and actually get the outcome he wanted.<br/>
“You wouldn’t. You know how much time and money that thing took.” Kuroo snorted. “Not to mention, Kenma wouldn’t be happy. And no one likes an unhappy Kenma.” Oikawa growled in frustration. Why had Kuroo been right so often recently?</p><p>“Ok, I really hope you know how this looks from my perspective.” Iwaizumi interjected, putting a hand on Oikawa’s arm. “Are you hurt? Come over here.” Oikawa just yanked the com out of his ear as he was tugged along behind Iwaizumi.<br/>
“Yeah, sorry, I...that was just my partner.” Oikawa admitted, and Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed.<br/>
“Wait, like a communication thing?” Oikawa nodded. “What the hell? Did he hear everything we said?” he asked, going red for the umpteenth time, though the fading light was making it hard to tell.</p><p>“I don’t think so!” Oikawa said quickly.</p><p><em>He probably only heard my end. </em>Oikawa realised, wincing at the thought. Iwaizumi relaxed a bit as he gently pushed Oikawa to sit on the tool trunk.<br/>
“Good” he muttered as he began looking Oikawa over, lifting his arms and fussing over the fact that his hero suit prevented Iwaizumi from getting a good look at him. </p><p>“I’m fine, I promise." Oikawa laughed. "That...did a lot more damage to my pride than my body.” he admitted, and Iwaizumi softened, hands stopping on Oikawa’s shoulders as he shook his head.<br/>
“Good.” he repeated. “Someone needs to keep you in check.” he added with that same smug grin. Oikawa pouted.<br/>
“I get startled half to death and then immediately insulted. What kind of people am I hanging out with?”</p><p>“The right ones.” Iwaizumi retorted, just behind the borderline of Oikawa’s personal space. </p><p>And wow, had Oikawa mentioned that his eyes looked like shimmering leaves in an early summer forest? Because, somehow, even under a crappy lightbulb built onto the outside of the main roof access point, they still did, and Oikawa's breath hitched a bit. </p><p>Iwaizumi tilted his head a bit.<br/>
“You ok? What was that for?”<br/>
“You.” Oikawa blurted out. Iwaizumi blinked, leaning back about an inch. </p><p>He didn’t let go of Oikawa, though.</p><p>“Should I ask what that’s supposed to mean?” Oikawa’s heart rate started to pick up.<br/>
“Just, you have really nice eyes.”<br/>
“That so?” </p><p>Oikawa nodded, feeling himself go red and, for the umpteenth time, feeling grateful for the mask that kept that from being known.</p><p>“You know, I think yours look pretty nice too, but I can’t remember.” Iwaizumi said softly. “Would you mind giving me a refresher?” </p><p>Oikawa’s heart was pounding away in his chest and his brain was still lost in Iwaizumi’s eyes, so his gut was probably still the one in charge and the next thing Oikawa knew, he was shaking his head and whispering.</p><p>“I wouldn’t mind.” </p><p>Iwaizumi’s hands moved slowly and carefully to Oikawa’s neck, beginning to gently tug his mask off. </p><p>Oikawa felt the cool evening air on his chin.</p><p><em>Ok, so this is happening.</em> He thought, heart thudding steadily in his chest, both at Iwaizumi’s proximity and the fact that there was no going back from this.</p><p>The fresh air hit his mouth.</p><p><em>This is happening,</em> he thought again, his brain starting to get stuck on it, like a broken record</p><p><em>This is happening.</em> The mask gently slipped past his nose and he was pretty sure his heart was trying to break his ribs.</p><p><em>This is happening.</em> The mask fell onto the trunk Oikawa was sitting on and Iwaizumi was less than a foot away. </p><p>“There he is,” Iwaizumi murmured with a soft smile as he brushed some damp hair off of Oikawa’s forehead, with that same spark of wonder in his eyes, and Oikawa almost felt the rest of his soul leave his body. </p><p>(That piece would’ve been headed for heaven at least)</p><p>“Hi.” Oikawa managed as he swallowed.<br/>
“Hi.” Iwaizumi echoed before his brow furrowed just a bit as he squinted, hands coming to cup Oikawa’s face. He gently turned Oikawa’s head left and then right before nodding once. “Yup. They’re gorgeous.” he stated quietly but with conviction, and Oikawa blinked. </p><p>“I’ve never seen them without your glasses on in person.” Iwaizumi added. Oh, right. His eyes. Oikawa felt his face start burning yet again, but this time, without a mask to be grateful for. </p><p>He let out a shaky breath.<br/>
“Thanks.” he said, deciding to be thankful for Iwaizumi instead, who was still looking at him so softly, and holding his face so gently. </p><p>“I’m about to do something.” Iwaizumi started, voice wavering the slightest bit. “I’ll go slow and tell me if you want me to stop though, ok?” Oikawa just nodded, face burning even more fiercely as Iwaizumi leaned in slowly, as promised. A moment later, he pressed his lips gently to Oikawa’s forehead. </p><p>It wasn’t much, really just a brush of his lips, but Oikawa thought his whole head was about to explode. It was so soft and gentle. Iwaizumi had been this whole time, and that was a side Oikawa hadn’t seen much from him. It was one he desperately wanted to see more.</p><p>Iwaizumi pulled away, letting go of Oikawa’s face a moment later.</p><p>“Your head’s sweaty.” he noted, and Oikawa blinked, speechless for a solid three seconds</p><p>“I did sprint all the way here wearing armor, you know.” Oikawa pointed out when he could talk again.<br/>
“That’s true.” Iwaizumi conceded. “Well, it looks like you’re fine.” he added, clearing his throat as he stuck his hand out. Oikawa smiled as he grabbed it and Iwaizumi tugged him up, Oikawa snatching his mask off the trunk as they headed back over towards the table.</p><p>“We missed the sunset.” Iwaizumi noted, looking out on the city as it lit up for the night, the skyline already a pale indigo speckled with clouds and stars, a nearly half full moon hanging low on the horizon.<br/>
“Guess so.” Oikawa responded, wondering if he was supposed to let go of Iwaizumi’s hand. </p><p>He really didn’t want to. </p><p>It was like Iwaizumi read his mind, his grip increasing as he laced their fingers together. They stood there, staring out at the early twilight sky silently.</p><p>“What happens now?” Iwaizumi finally asked, when the last of the light had faded from the horizon. Oikawa inhaled.</p><p>“I don’t know.” </p><p>It wasn’t exactly safe for Iwaizumi to know, but, at the same time, it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world. The authorities might bug him if they thought he knew who Regius was, but there usually wasn’t too much they could, or would, do. </p><p>And their city didn't really have any supervillains. Sure a few sprang up from time to time, but none stuck around, and very few actually managed to cause real damage. (Hey, Regius and Voltaic were good at their jobs)</p><p>“I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Iwaizumi offered, and Oikawa laughed lightly.<br/>
“I know.” Oikawa assured, squeezing Iwaizumi’s hand. Iwaizumi just squeezed back.</p><p>“Was that the kiss? That sounded like it could’ve been the kiss!” A tiny voice yelled from Oikawa’s pocket.<br/>
“...Tooru?”<br/>
“Hajime?”<br/>
“I’m about to destroy that thing.” Oikawa laughed as he dug the com out of his pocket.<br/>
“Hey, Voltaic?”<br/>
“Yeah?”</p><p>“Fuck off.” Oikawa said sweetly. “Aren’t you busy?”<br/>
“Nope! It’s been really slow and this is like a podcast to me at this point. I’ll be honest though dude, I think the other guy’s my favorite character.” Oikawa felt his left eye twitch.</p><p>“You know what? I think destroying it sounds great. Wanna help me?” Oikawa said, glancing over at Iwaizumi, who grinned at him in the low light.<br/>
“You read my mind.”</p><p>“You won’t!” Kuroo singsonged<br/>
“And why not?”<br/>
“You know exactly why. Time, money, and a certain explosive nerd.” Kuroo pointed out, and Oikawa groaned. </p><p>“Fine, I’m not gonna break it, but if this keeps up, I might just try and break you.” Oikawa shot back, and Kuroo laughed.<br/>
“Like I said before, I live for chaos, not suffering, so I’ll be taking my leave before tonight crosses that line for any of us!” Kuroo declared, and the com made a soft clicking sound. </p><p>Was it off? Oikawa was fairly sure they could turn each others on and off remotely, (or something like that. Kenma had explained it, but Oikawa had been too focused on understanding the basics) but he hated to admit that he couldn’t remember for sure.</p><p>“Finally.” Iwaizumi muttered<br/>
“I know, I thought he’d never leave.”</p><p>“And one more thing!” Kuroo chirped, the com coming back online in Oikawa’s hand. Oikawa and Iwaizumi both flinched, jumping back and yelping. “If you don’t go straight home once you two finish up, I’ll find you and drag you back home, and it will <em>not</em> be dignified. Ok, bye for real now!”</p><p>“Oh my god, I think I hate that guy.” Iwaizumi said, free hand coming up to rub his face as the com went quiet again.<br/>
“That makes two of us.” Oikawa muttered, shaking his head before laughing. “We should get him back for this.”<br/>
“How?”<br/>
“Dunno.” Oikawa shrugged. “However, I may or may not have access to his suit if we do or do not decide to vandalize it, just a little bit.” </p><p>Iwaizumi laughed at that.<br/>
“Aren’t you a superhero?”<br/>
“Yeah, but not a saint.”<br/>
“What would we even draw?”<br/>
“Wanna table that for tomorrow morning? It’ll give me time to write down some ideas and we can go from there.” Oikawa said seriously. After all, he hadn’t gotten his revenge for the press incident earlier in the week yet either.</p><p>Iwaizumi smiled, shaking his head a bit.<br/>
“Sure. He won’t know what hit him.”<br/>
“Nope.” Oikawa agreed.<br/>
“...He seems kinda familiar though…almost like Daichi’s-nah.” Iwaizumi muttered before shaking his head and looking towards Oikawa, brow furrowing. “Wait. He said he’d drag you home if you didn’t go? Don’t you normally work nights?” Oikawa tensed.</p><p>“Ah, well,” he tried, wondering how to make ‘I actually didn’t sleep at all this week so he’s forcing me to rest’ sound like it wasn’t that bad. “I might’ve...um, <em>overextended</em> a bit this week, so he wanted me to stay at home tonight.”<br/>
“Define overextended.”</p><p>Iwaizumi’s grip on Oikawa's hand increase as Oikawa stayed silent.<br/>
“Hey, Overwork-kawa, <em>define overextended.</em>” Iwaizumi repeated, keeping his voice level, but serious.</p><p>Oikawa sighed.<br/>
“I didn’t sleep on Sunday through Tuesday, I only got about two hours on Wednesday, and none on Thursday. This morning, at like three or four am, he drug me home and threw me in bed.” Oikawa winced. “But, then I got over twelve hours.” Oikawa offered, voice pitching up slightly at the end.</p><p>Iwaizumi was silent for a long, tense moment, standing perfectly still next to Oikawa, grip on his hand not changing at all.</p><p>“Can you say something? Even yelling at me for it would be better than this.” Oikawa muttered, his stomach swirling and face burning. Iwaizumi wasn’t usually quiet like this. </p><p>Iwaizumi exhaled one breath over what felt like fifteen seconds.</p><p>“Ok.” he finally said. “That was dangerous and unhealthy, but you already know that. Knowing that you did that freaks me out and pisses me off.” he continued, voice wavering. “But just-I,” he tried.<br/>
“Iwa, I-”<br/>
“Can you promise me you won’t do it again?” </p><p>Oikawa winced. In short? He couldn’t.</p><p>“I don’t want to lie to you.” Oikawa admitted. “I never really know what's gonna happen.” he elaborated. “But, I could promise to only do it when absolutely necessary?” </p><p>Iwaizumi snorted, running his free hand through his hair.<br/>
“If we can define ‘necessary’ together, then maybe.” Oikawa laughed lightly, feeling some of the tension leak out of the moment.<br/>
“You got a deal. Wanna fold that in with homework and vandalism planning in the morning?”<br/>
“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.” Iwaizumi nodded, clearing his throat as he let go of Oikawa’s hand and headed to the table, starting to return his evidence to his school bag.</p><p>“I still can’t believe you kept these.” Oikawa said with a small grin as he lifted up the post-it note box, and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.<br/>
“Yeah, yeah. You and Daichi both." Iwaizumi scoffed as he snatched the box out of Oikawa's hands and put it in his bag. </p><p>Wait, what?</p><p>"Daichi?" Oikawa asked, brow furrowing.<br/>
"Yeah. My roommate. I know I've mentioned him before."<br/>
"Ah yeah, but did you just call him by his first name?" Oikawa asked, stomach starting to sink. Iwaizumi usually just said ‘my roommate’ or his last name when it was applicable,  not his first.</p><p><em>Kuroo wouldn't have, right?</em> Oikawa thought to himself.</p><p>"Yeah. Sawamura Daichi. He's right around my height, dark hair, pretty buff." Iwaizumi shrugged. </p><p><em>Kuroo totally would have.</em> Oikawa admitted to himself with a groan. </p><p>Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow as he slung his bag over his shoulder.<br/>
“What? You got a problem with him?”<br/>
“<em>He’s</em> not the one I have a problem with.” Oikawa responded, staring at the com in his hand. </p><p>How long? How long had that bastard known?  </p><p><em>“I like chaos, not suffering.”</em> Well, that little statement had a whole new context now, didn’t it?</p><p>“I’ll explain later.” Oikawa promised as he filed the thought away for now, looking up and catching Iwaizumi’s confused expression.<br/>
“Ok.” Iwaizumi responded, brow still drawn together.</p><p>Oikawa and Kuroo would be having some <em>very important discussions</em> when Kuroo got back in the morning. One of them would be about the distinction between chaos and suffering.</p><p>“Why do you work with that guy anyway?” Iwaizumi asked, glancing at the com as well. “Kinda seems like you two don’t get along.” Oikawa shook his head.<br/>
“It’s a really, really, long story.” he said, and the smallest touch of fondness leaked through despite his best efforts. “But, from a logistical standpoint, it’s because of my power.” Oikawa shrugged.</p><p>Amplification. He could use it on himself, but it was limited. He could boost his own strength or speed, but it still affected his body the exact same way it would another human his size, age, and all that. He couldn't just boost his strength to lift a car and do it without injury.</p><p>“I shouldn’t talk about specifics, but it works best if I have another person.” he simplified, shaking his head. There was only so much his body could handle, and his right knee was proof of that.</p><p>“And, he’s a good person, just…” Oikawa started, struggling to put Kuroo into words.<br/>
He doubted there was any real malice behind Kuroo’s actions. He had probably just wanted a funny story out of it.<br/>
“He’s like my cactus.” Iwaizumi shrugged, and Oikawa blinked. “Nice to look at, painful to mess with, but, ultimately, a really good addition to a garden.” 

</p><p>Oikawa laughed.
</p><p>“Wow, plant analogies? Ushiwaka’s really rubbing off on you, huh?” Iwaizumi scowled.<br/>
</p><p>“Do <em>not</em> say that.” he countered. “I still can’t stand the guy, even if the garden is...kinda fun.” Iwaizumi nearly pouted, like he was offended at the idea of enjoying something Ushijima had given him, and Oikawa chuckled.<br/>
</p><p>“I guess that <em>is</em> a good analogy though.” Oikawa said, smiling towards the cactus. “It also helps that my first impression of cactus involved me getting spines in my hand, and my first impression of Voltaic was-” Oikawa cut himself off there.<br/>
“Was…?” Iwaizumi prompted, and Oikawa shook his head. </p><p>That was a story for another day.</p><p>“Let’s just say, that’s where the hand kissing thing comes from and leave it at that.” Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed.<br/>
“I’m not sure if I want to know more or less now.”<br/>
“Eh, it’s mostly just an inside joke at this point.” Oikawa shrugged.</p><p>"I always did wonder if you did that as a joke or because you were together. It kinda...ah, nevermind." Iwaizumi said, shaking his head.<br/>
“Kindaaaaaa…?” Oikawa prompted, and Iwaizumi looked away from him, huffing a bit.<br/>
“It made me think that it would be nice.” he mumbled. “But, anyway,” he said, clearing his throat. “We’re still meeting tomorrow, right?”<br/>
“Yeah, of course.” Oikawa said, filing Iwaizumi's statement away for future reference.<br/>
“Ok, good. Are you ready?” Iwaizumi asked, and Oikawa blinked.</p><p>“Ready?” </p><p>For what? The relationship they were about to start building? The complications of Oikawa’s heroing on normal life, and subsequently, Iwaizumi? The morning meeting? To work out what their relationship actually was, because they hadn't really cleared that up yet?</p><p>“Yeah. I need to clock out.” Iwaizumi said, rolling his eyes fondly. “What were you thinking? Something overly complicated, I bet.”<br/>
“No! I was just, you know, already trying to think of vandalism ideas.” Oikawa retorted. “I can’t take that eavesdropping lying down.”</p><p>“Is it eavesdropping if <em>you</em> turned the com on?”<br/>
“Yes. Final answer. Now, I don’t want you to get in trouble, go clock out before it gets too late.” Oikawa huffed, gently shooing Iwaizumi towards the stairs.</p><p>“Fine, but you too. Get some sleep tonight or I’m not gonna help you in the morning. I’ll just make you take a nap.” Iwaizumi threatened in response, and Oikawa laughed.<br/>
“Yeah, you and Voltaic both.” he grinned. “But, really. I will.”<br/>
“Good. I’ll see you in the morning. We can...hopefully figure everything out a little better?” Iwaizumi asked tentatively.<br/>
“Of course.” Oikawa agreed with a soft smile.</p><p>“You want me to walk you down?” Iwaizumi asked, and Oikawa’s grin widened as he held his mask up and shook it gently.<br/>
“You sure that would be a good idea?”<br/>
“Oh, right, well-”<br/>
“Iwa-chan, I got here on my own. I can get home on my own.” Oikawa assured, shaking his head.</p><p>“Right, right, sorry.” Iwaizumi said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just weird to think about...Oikawa Tooru, out there doing hero stuff.”<br/>
“Well, then you’ll be pleased to know that he’s off duty tonight.” Oikawa said as he grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand, using that filed away information from earlier. </p><p>He dipped into his customary bow, pressing a gentle kiss to Iwaizumi’s hand. He kept a hold of it as he straightened up, smiling at Iwaizumi.</p><p>“You know, all you had to do was ask if you wanted one.” </p><p>It was only a second before Iwaizumi’s entire face was red, and Oikawa laughed as he quickly tugged on his mask.<br/>
“I’ll see you in the morning Iwa-chan!” he called over his shoulder as he jogged to the table and grabbed his helmet.<br/>
“Be careful. Please.” Iwaizumi called after a beat.</p><p>Oikawa laughed brightly.<br/>
“I didn’t know my mom was up here.” he responded as he slipped his helmet on and started towards the fire escape, his usual exit point from the roof garden. </p><p>Oikawa’s laughter only grew as he heard Iwaizumi’s footsteps behind him, speeding up. Oikawa quickly amplified his power, leaping from the fire escape to the next building.</p><p>“I’m serious!” He heard Iwaizumi call from the edge of the roof garden, and Oikawa smiled to himself as he ran along the rooftops, heading for home. His chest started doing that funny thing again as snatches of the evening started replaying themselves in his mind. How had things actually turned out this well? Oikawa, wasn’t dreaming, was he?</p><p><em>No,</em> he thought to himself. <em>No, I just had to-</em> </p><p>His thoughts stopped abruptly there as that same warm feeling pulsed through his chest again. </p><p>Huh.</p><p>He caught sight of an upcoming space between buildings that was a bit bigger than the others, and adjusted his angle a slight bit, heading for the gap straight on.</p><p>He understood why he had hesitated with Iwaizumi now.</p><p>He began sprinting, the cool night air rushing past, the thrum of the city buzzing around him, and his own feelings buzzing in his chest. </p><p>It was a strong suit of his, really. It was something he knew well, from his hero work and school life.</p><p>He activated his power, feeling his legs respond as he picked up that needed extra bit of speed for the last few steps. </p><p>Something that had kept him, and those around him, alive more than once. Something he had learned how to do the hard way, in a lot of ways. </p><p>Oikawa laughed brightly as he flung himself over the gap, rolling and springing back up on the next rooftop. </p><p>He didn't know how to do it in every way, though, he realised. </p><p>He hadn’t figured out how to do it with his heart. Not before tonight. And oh, what a gentle way to start learning how to do it with his heart. How to open it up, to show it to someone else, without knowing what they’d say.</p><p>It really had been this simple the whole time, hadn't it?</p><p>He grinned up at the sky as he stopped on the edge of the building, looking out over the city and whispering to himself in wonder, amusement, and pure joy.</p><p>“I just had to <em>trust.</em>”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much for reading! And a big thank you to Aya for beta-ing for me!<br/>Comments/kudos/feedback are always appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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